Subrata Roy today surrendered before the police. Yesterday the police was not able to find him so as to bring in effect the arrest warrant issued by the Supreme Court. Immediately after his arrest, the Supreme Court did not agree to revoke the warrant. Roy was scheduled to address a press conference in New Delhi but the police was informed by the officials of Sahara India Parivar that he was ready to surrender. Delhi police after his arrest asked for his transit remand so that he could be produced before the Supreme Court. He would be there in police custody till March 4 when he will be presented in the court. Roy was arrested soon after the statement was released that he was not evading the police and that he had asked the police to do its duty as directed by the court. He also added he had gone to visit his ailing mother. At present Roy is there in the same premises where he lives and he may be under house arrest there as it seems now.

28-Feb-2014Others

Maoist encounter at Dantewada, 5 policemen dead

In an encounter of the police with the Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, five policemen that included a Station House Officer were killed. Three security persons have been injured as well in the incident. This happened in Nakulnar region of Dantewada where the police officers were stationed for the security of the construction site. The Maoists unleashed an attack at the place where road construction work was going on between Kuakonda and Bacheli. For hours at end gun battle went on between the security forces and the Naxals. The CRPF jawans also helped the police in the encounter. This attack proves the concern of the Home Ministry true where it had said the Maoists’ activities will increase in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

28-Feb-2014Politics

President's rule to be imposed in Andhra Pradesh

It has been decided by the union cabinet that president's rule will be imposed in Andhra Pradesh. The state will be bifurcated to form a separate Telangana state. The cabinet had a meeting at the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence. Andhra Pradesh assembly will be kept in suspended animation. The Assembly term will be completed on 2 June, 2014 but prior to that elections will be held. Unusual situation arose when the Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned on February 19 as the chief minister and left the Congress party as a mark of protest regarding the approval of the parliament for the Telangana bill. His resignation was accepted and he was asked to continue as a caretaker chief minister. Reddy was not willing to do and had asked the Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to make alternate arrangements. No candidate’s name was proposed by the ruling Congress party when Reddy resigned.

28-Feb-2014Business

India's first Post Office Savings Bank ATM in Chennai

Inauguration of the first Post Office Savings Bank ATM in India was done at the head post office in Chennai by P Chidambaram, the Union finance minister. This is part of the government’s initiative to modernize the 150-year-old department of posts. In the interim budget allocation of Rs 4,909 crore for modernizing 1.55 lakh post offices was mentioned. The target for the same process has been kept till 2015. In Mumbai and Delhi 4 ATMs are ready to start operation. 1,000 ATMs will be set up by 2014 end and 1,800 ATMs will be established in 2015. For initiating the core banking solutions in the post office banks, Rs 700 crore has been allocated. With this the customer can do transaction from anywhere despite having account in some other post office. Thus the customer would be a post office savings bank customer. Till now 51 head post offices and 11 sub post offices have shifted to the bank, encompassing 64 lakh accounts. 700 post offices will migrate by March.

28-Feb-2014Sports

IPL will be made transparent: IPL Chairman

The BCCI has stated that it has adopted measures which will ensure that the IPL is devoid of corruption. This would include creating awareness among the players and franchises of how to keep away from some people when the matches are on. In simpler words how they can avoid indulging in match-fixing. This information was passed on to media by the IPL Chairman Ranjib Biswal. Some people have been identified whom the players need to avoid so as to bring in transparency in the matches. Along with this the anti-corruption teams will be with the players and would visit the match venues. It was also specified that 70% of the Mudgal Committee report has been implemented. Biswal’s words were echoed by the BCCI Chairman N Srinivasan who stated BCCI will be doing whatever is possible to make the IPL a transparent event.

28-Feb-2014Science and Technology

Facebook Messenger for Windows to shut down

The messenger for Windows will stop working from March 3, 2014. Facebook made an announcement of the end of the Windows support for its Messenger app. This announcement was done by way of a notification to users who were using the app. Facebook Messenger came into operations 2 years back and at present as many as 1 million people use it for communicating with their family and friends. Facebook though has announced that this would work on the app for Windows Phone. There are also reports that Facebook Messenger for Firefox will also wind up. Earlier Facebook had also announced that it would be ending the email service @facebook.com as it had not been too popular among the users.